Black Knights rally together after losing teammates, 'best friends'

Monday

"They were a pair," Stoughton football coach Greg Burke said of David Bell and Nick Joyce. "They were very close. They weren't just friends, they were best friends."

STOUGHTON - Students donning their black and orange football jerseys huddled together Sunday night, some standing solemnly as others lifted their sleeves to wipe away quiet tears.

Two players, who would wear No. 6 and No. 34, were noticeably missing from the group.

"It is like losing a family member," said Greg Burke, the longtime Stoughton High School head football coach. "We are part of an extended family. We do everything together. We laugh together and we cry together."

Now the team is mourning, grieving and healing together.

Four Stoughton High School students -- 17-year-olds David Bell, Christopher Desir and Eric Sarblah and 16-year-old Nick Joyce -- died in a violent rollover crash on West Street in East Bridgewater on Saturday afternoon.

Another 17-year-old student, who friends identified as NaiQuan Hamilton, was driving the car and remains hospitalized.

David and Nick, both juniors, were members of the school's football team.

"Right now it's surreal," senior Matt Hadley, who was wearing his Black Knights jersey, told The Enterprise Sunday. "It doesn't feel real. At this point, it's gonna take a while for everything to sink in."

"They were great kids," said Burke, who talked about his two players on Monday with The Enterprise. "They were always working on building themselves. They were both leaders and doers."

David played on the defensive line for the varsity team. He was a hard worker, his coach said, but he was also known for his infectious smile and sense of humor.

"He's a character," Matt said about his teammate. "He brings so much energy and love to the sport, and to anything else he does. He's really just an outgoing kid, a happy kid. We were really close -- one of my brothers."

Burke said that David was always working on improving himself on the field and in school and that he likely would have played college football. In addition to football he also played on the basketball team and ran track.

He was working out the morning before his fatal accident, telling friends he was focused on beating Canton in next year's Thanksgiving football game.

Both on and off the field, David could often be seen with Nick, Burke said.

"They were a pair," Burke said. "They were very close. They weren't just friends, they were best friends."

Nick was a speedy running back, his coach said. He mostly played on the junior varsity team but Burke said he would have likely made a big impact on the varsity team his senior year.

"Nick was like a little brother to me," Hadley said.

Nick also competed on the track team as a sprinter and in the high jump event.

"I'm not going to be able to replace either one of them," Burke said. "I'd like to say I can, but we can't. It's going to be difficult for us. This was going to be their year."

Burke has not yet met with his football team to talk about the loss, as he wants to give the players time and he, himself, is still grappling with the heartbreaking loss. Burke said he plans to have a meeting with the team in the coming week, however it is clear the team has already begun to lean on each other for support during this tragedy.

Matt said the motto of the team is “Us, We, Together, Forever," which teammates have been repeating to each other since the loss of their two leaders.

"No matter what happens nothing can break the bonds we share," Matt said. "Past present and future black nights all just stick together."

Burke said during the upcoming football season, which the team has been preparing for with workouts, they will remember and play for David and Nick.

"Their spirit is going to be with us every day," Burke said. "They are going to push us through the tough times. I have no doubt that, spiritually, they will lift us up during our difficult days."

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